Give a Gift on Valentine's Day and give your heart a holiday

I never got over one Valentine's Day when I received about 20 unmarked "I love You cards" in the mail.

I was in my mid-20s and single.

The last time I received a Valentine was in Jr. High School.

On that special day, you stuffed Valentine's cards into the school locker of that special someone you had a crush on.

A couple of versions of the history of Valentine's Day.

It is believed that Valentine's Day has its origin in ancient Rome, when the feast of Lupercalia was celebrated from 13 February to 15 February. … Emperor Claudius II was against the marriage of single men and ordered that Saint Valentine should be beheaded. The execution happened on 14 February. - Google

Its true origin is still very vague. According to the legend, the day is celebrated to mark the death anniversary of Saint Valentine who died in mid-February in 270 AD. It is said that Saint Valentine was a priest, who defied emperors' orders and secretly married couples to spare husbands from war. - Google

As you can read there is little resemblance between the history of Valentine's Day and what we commonly recognize today.

Young people for the most part let that special someone know they are romantically into them.

Adults? It depends.

In a tradition like Halloween, the grown-ups give out the candy not collect it. But, it allows shooting any lost Cupid arrows!

I live in Indonesia and Valentine's Day is against the law.

At least 10 cities across the world's biggest Muslim-majority nation (not in Bali) issued full or partial bans on Valentine's Day celebrations.

Islamic clerics and some pious Muslims use the occasion to criticize what they see as Western decadence.

But many Indonesians practice a moderate form of Islam and celebrate Valentine's Day with cards, chocolates, and flowers for their loved ones. - The Straight Times

Fortunately, few young Indonesians agree with this extremist policy.

Going underground they kiss secretly.

I was married twice.

I had no plans for a third marriage. Let alone a marriage with a woman where we couldn't speak each other's language.

Our traditions and cultural background couldn't be more diverse. I am American and she is Indonesian. 

We met on the island of love, Bali.

Illegal or not Valentine's Day is not a recognized holiday by most in Indonesia.

I tried to offer my wife a gift and she got no connection to the western holiday.

It's something she has seen on Social Media.

Offering a gift to that special someone is never a bad idea despite any holiday.

We all need to feel good so gift-giving behavior causes humans to release "feel-good" chemicals in the brain, such as serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin that create a "warm glow" effect.

This behavior also releases endorphins which produce the positive feeling known as the "helper's high." - Google

There's also oxytocin.

Part of the uniqueness of the reward activation around gift-giving compared to something like receiving an award or winning money is that because it is social it also activates pathways in the brain that release oxytocin, which is a neuropeptide that signals trust, safety, and connection. - Google

What's on your mind this year?

• Valentine's Day cards
• Chocolates
• Flowers
• Dinner for two
• Clothing
• Gift vouchers
• House plants
• Perfume
• Jewelry
• Movie

Now that the pandemic is over you can go out again!

On February 14, people exchange gifts with their special "valentine."

But this year, let's make the holiday about more than gifts; let's use it to celebrate our common humanity.

"Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that." - Martin Luther King, Jr.

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